University of Essex Guide 2017-18 reviews

Campus and accommodation at Essex

Essex uni is a nice little campus uni around a mile from the centre of colchester. Though you don't really need to know this if you're applying as the furthers you'll venture as a first year is the big Tesco's store 10 minutes a way!

The uni is very compact with most of the accommodation less than 2 mintes away from the lecture rooms. Actually finding your way around can be difficult though, as any lectures not in the LTB (lecture theatre building) are in the main block, which is organised into squares. All the bars and shops open onto the squares and are easy to find but many of the smaller rooms are hidden away behind them and it can take a little while to find the right room.

The accommodation is either sociable and scummy (towers) or unsocialble and nice (courts) with the rest falling somewhere inbetween. It's all selfcatered so make sure you can at least heat food up. Also don't buy too much fresh or frozen stuff as there's never enough space in the fridge/freezer.

The people are nice, it's a pretty friendly face and small and compact so you'll often bump into someone you know if you're walking round. On campus facilities are pretty good too - you only need to leave to go to Tescos for food.

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The Towers

So, they look ugly from a distance.. and from close up.. but, once you are in them, you will never want to leave. TRUST ME! Never mind the en suite expense of south courts and houses, you want to be living in Towers. Why? because, they are quite simply the best student accomodation ever built, 14 floors, each floor with 14 people pure bliss... if you decide you don't want to go out with your flat one night.. go out with the one above.. or below. or 6 floors up maybe.... I was in William Morris 6... oh the joys.. the yoghurt/pasta/water/bread/insert messy food here fights!
They may look like a prison ... but you will come to love your glorified cell... i did... so you have to share a bathroom. so? you've had to do that most of your life.. granted not with 14 other smelly students, but they do get cleaned everyday by your cleaner/angel sent from heaven. Washing up... hurrah for washing up.
you can't really argue with it for £48 a week... come on... who goes to university to have an ensuite? not me that's for sure... and if you really do want to have to live with boring post grads.. go to south courts, but if you want the time of your life... it's towers all the way.

We @ essex must worship the towers.

South Courts

Cosy, clean, spacious for student accomodation.

Always warm in Winter, a nice place to stay.

This is peachy if you are a student, ensuite facilities, well, what more can I say.

However if you dont want quiet, live in the Towers, you'll probably spend some of the best times in your uni life in the towers, having a laugh with everybody in there.

Mondo's Bar

A Trendy Bar/Cafe/ small club venue come evening.
It has a relaxing atmosphere during the day, with nice food and drinks, and at night, there is a real party vibe.

They play all types of music, from Funky House, to US Garage, and even Drum n Bass and Dance.

Basically, a quality venue.

Potter guides review

Designed and built in the mid-1960s, this campus embodies all the dream-theories about University life at that time: many of them relating back to Oxbridge-style concepts of collegiate life and learning; some embodying a timeless belief that optimum conditions for learning are delivered through excellent facilities for research, teaching, culture and sport, in beautiful, serene surroundings to a student community reasonably screened from the distractions and concerns of the outside world…

Guardain university guide review

Established in 1965, Essex is a relatively small university with a good academic reputation. The university's main academic strengths are in the humanities: it has good reputations in politics, philosophy, art history and law. The university is particularly attractive to international students: more than 2,000 non-EU students out of a student body of just over 9,000

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Sunday Times University Guide

The 6,000 full-time students rattle around a spacious 200-acre campus just outside Colchester. About a third of students come from overseas and the university has a strong track record in recruitment from the working classes and state schools.

Environment at the University of Essex

Essex uni has the interesting multicultural atmosphere which is made by a great mixture of overseas, EU and home students. The campus is compact but lively since most of students live on campus accommodation. Essex students easily develop ‘sense of community’ among friends and colleagues simply by hanging out on campus. The main campus in Wivenhoe is located in large grass fields and surrounded by trees and lakes. There are many wild animals on campus, such as rabbits, squirrels, swans, bucks and geese and the environment is peaceful. If you like the relaxing atmosphere you will find the campus very comfortable.
Library is not very big but online journals and inter-library loan services are excellent. The library is open almost everyday and the large reading, in particular, is available for 24 hours. It’s good for hard-working students or those who can’t work in their own room. The library would be better if there were more study rooms for postgraduate students and study space for laptop users.
The study environment for postgraduate students is satisfactory though departments very much differ in research environment and facilities. Some departments provide PhD students with a shared office where 4-8 students can work. Some study rooms have a shared desktop and a printer but most of students need to bring their own laptops. Some departments, mostly in science, provide students with desktops or computer labs as departmental facilities. Other departments, mostly in humanities areas, have only a departmental social space without proper study desks, which is too bad. PhD supervision, research groups and seminars also vary from department to department. If you prefer a nature-surrounding peaceful life to a busy city life, Essex is promising.

Campus Community

Essex Uni has a real community feel about it. The atmosphere is warm and friendly and this is aided by the fact that everything and everybody is in such close proximity. With student accommodation a stone's throw from the classrooms and other facilities just as close (cafes, restaurants, bars) the social vibe is unique. Anyone feeling naturally anxious about going it 'alone' at uni needn't worry - there is no such thing as isolation on this campus - you will make friends very quickly, in fact you won't be able to get away from them! You will literally bump into people whilst you're walking between lectures and they're having lunch on the squares. Everything you will ever need is on campus - social, practical, edible and drinkable!

One skill you will definitely improve at Essex is your navigation - finding the teaching rooms can be challenging and frustrating at times, but this only really causes problems at the beginning of term - and you'll see hundreds of other students running around with the same bemused looks on their faces!

Life at Essex

Why I chose Essex:
I chose the University of Essex over any other university because I was attracted to the small town(coming from a small town myself); Essex is said to be one of the safest places in England; and of course and most importantly, the reputation that the University had in my course of interest.

The University:
Ok... so... the buildings aren't the most beautiful but the campus itself, I absolutely love. It's fairly small, depending on what you're used to I guess, green, with nice lakes. You might get lost trying to find certain rooms, but... that could actually be kinda fun :)
There are quite a few computer labs scattered about the campus that are opened 24/7 (I think)... I've never had to go there at 3 in the morning.

The People:
You will come into contact with many different people, from many different countries, from all walks of life, which I think is one of the + for this University. I shared a flat with people from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, India, France, Italy, Mexico, and Taiwan.. can you get any more diverse than that? It was amazing learning about different cultures and eating their national dishes... yum.

The locals are very friendly, so are the staff and students. It's quite a lovely atmosphere.

Nightlife:

I may not be the best person to discuss this as I am not the partying/clubbing type but I will try my best. The campus has a few clubs that seems to be always popping, with lots of different fun themes on different nights etc. They also host some very popular DJs and the clubs appear to be very popular with the undergraduates. If you don't want to stay on campus, there are a few clubs in town that you can choose from as well. Don't get me wrong, it's not like London or anything, but I think you'd be able to enjoy the nightlife with the right set of people.

Accommodation:

I lived in the Houses which was great as the rooms are en-suite. I had an amazing set of flatmates and it's really quiet which helps if you prefer to study in your room as opposed to the library. When I walked into my room, I thought it was a decent size for being campus accommodation, but when I saw my friends' rooms at South Courts and the Quays, I realized just how incredibly tiny my room was in comparison.
The Towers are said to be the most fun place to live. I wouldn't know, but I did attend a couple parties over there which were pretty cool.

Would I recommend Essex?:

Definitely!

Wonderful home away from home!

The University of Essex is an amazing place to study. The campus is comprised of various facilities to accommodate almost every student. Plus, there are so many international students from all over the world like myself that made the transition to the English education system much easier.

Campus itself has so many great places for studying and hanging out with friends. The restaurants have a great variety of foods to suit any taste, and the weekend night life is amazing! The Students Union at Essex hosts so many different events throughout the year that are awesome for meeting new people and having a great night out with friends.

Accommodation at Essex is also good. I lived in University Quays and it was the perfect atmosphere for me! My educational preferences were taken into account, and I was placed in the best housing for my educational experience. Essex has a lot of different housing schemes to suit all student preferences.

Overall, Essex was a perfect home away from home for me. It provided me with the perfect combination of university life and international experience. The university had such a welcoming and diverse environment, perfect for those who are looking to step out of their comfort zone and make academic and personal connections that will last a lifetime.

Wonderful home away from home!

The University of Essex is an amazing place to study. The campus is comprised of various facilities to accommodate almost every student. Plus, there are so many international students from all over the world like myself that made the transition to the English education system much easier.

Campus itself has so many great places for studying and hanging out with friends. The restaurants have a great variety of foods to suit any taste, and the weekend night life is amazing! The Students Union at Essex hosts so many different events throughout the year that are awesome for meeting new people and having a great night out with friends.

Accommodation at Essex is also good. I lived in University Quays and it was the perfect atmosphere for me! My educational preferences were taken into account, and I was placed in the best housing for my educational experience. Essex has a lot of different housing schemes to suit all student preferences.

Overall, Essex was a perfect home away from home for me. It provided me with the perfect combination of university life and international experience. The university had such a welcoming and diverse environment, perfect for those who are looking to step out of their comfort zone and make academic and personal connections that will last a lifetime.